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No Zune phone at CES, says Microsoft

Pink rumours still doing rounds, though

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Microsoft has officially silenced speculation that it will launch a Zune phone at the Consumer Electronics Show next month.

In a short but sweet statement, Brian Seitz, MS' Zune chief, told US website Gizmodo that it won't announce a "Zune phone at CES”.

Talk of a Zune phone has been doing the rounds for a while. Earlier this month, Eric Savitz of Barron's suggested that the Zune Phone would be announced by Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer, in his CES keynote on 7 January 2009.

However, Ballmer denied that Microsoft has plans to get into the phone business back in October, when he said: “Sorry, we are not going to build one.”

Seitz’s comment may not be enough to still the Zune phone rumour mill entirely, though. Late last month, CNBC reported how a “good source” at Microsoft had told it that the firm is working on a Zune-like device codenamed “Pink”.

The mystery gadget, the source said, will combine Zune with technology from Danger – a handset software and services firm acquired by Microsoft in February this year.

It’s thought Pink may be unveiled either at CES in Las Vegas next month, or at some point in February.